


Judging a Book(man) by its Cover

by mizface



Series: djinn!Ray [10]
Category: due South
Genre: Alternate Universe, Djinni & Genies, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 20:54:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11859483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mizface/pseuds/mizface
Summary: Ray was no detective (as Vecchio loved to remind him whenever he tried to tag along), but it wasn't too hard to clue in on the fact that everyone kept casting worried glances at the lieutenant's office.





	Judging a Book(man) by its Cover

**Author's Note:**

> So I was going through my WiPs and found this, which was actually completed but never posted for some reason. Thanks to Hazelwho for a quick once-over to make sure it made sense.

Ray knew something was off the second he stepped into the precinct. Not that he was here often enough that he should notice, but that didn't change the facts. There was a heaviness to the air that spoke of change, and for whatever reason, it wasn't a good one.

Not knowing what it was, and having no real way (read that as non-magickal) to try and suss it out, he shook his head and made his way over to Vecchio's desk. He got an odd look or two as he walked that disappeared once he was recognized. 

Neither Vecchio or Ben was there, so Ray sat down in Vecchio's chair, which was slightly more comfortable than the torture device he had next to his desk for visitors. He spun around in it a few times, bored. When the chair came to a stop facing the desk, he stopped fighting his natural curiosity and looked over the files left on it, ignoring Ben's voice in his head (manners, Ray). The case files meant nothing to him, none of them matching anything Ben had told him about, but he shuffled through them anyway, not bothering to open any of them. He was toying with the idea of rearranging them, just to mess with Vecchio, when that feeling of foreboding hit him again.

He put the files back on the desk, laying his hand on top of them to see if whatever it was that was pinging him came from the files. If there was something bad about to happen, and Ben might be involved, he needed to know, and Ben would just have to deal with it. His promise not to interfere with police work would never be outweighed by his need to keep the man he loved safe.

But he got nothing from the files, so whatever it was, it wasn't that. Ray looked around to try and figure out just what was nagging at him. It was a rare thing for him to get anything premonition-like, so he never ignored it. Nothing looked out of place, but there was something... 

Ray was no detective (as Vecchio loved to remind him whenever he tried to tag along), but it wasn't too hard to clue in on the fact that everyone kept casting worried glances at the lieutenant's office. The door was uncharacteristically closed, but if that was where the trouble was, it was no barrier for a djinn. He closed his eyes and focused in on what was going on.

_“-telling you that Vecchio's not your man,” Lt. Welsh was saying._

_“We understand that you don't want to give up one of your detectives, but it isn't really your call to make,” an unknown male voice replied, lack of care for any of the lieutenant's objections obvious in the calm smugness of his tone._

_“It's not going to be his either, is it?”_

_“Given their remarkable resemblance, this is too good an opportunity to pass up. We're sure that when presented with the situation, Detective Vecchio will make the right decision.”_

_“And if he doesn't? If he decides the right thing to do is stay in Chicago, taking care of his family and doing his job?”_

_“We don't anticipate that being a problem.”_

_Welsh sighed heavily. “This isn't just a short term thing. You're asking me to recommend to one of my detectives that he go undercover, on a federal investigation no less, with no back up that he knows well enough to trust, for months, maybe longer. Out of state, no contact, with almost no warning.”_

_“We're aware of what we're asking, Lieutenant.”_

_“I really, really don't think you are. And I realize the good this can do, on a bigger scale. But I also see the harm it can do closer to home. At heart, Vecchio's all about family. So if you're going to make him do this, you'd better be sure they're taken into account, protected in case he gets caught, and as kept in the loop as they can be. Or else you're going to get a big fat no from him from the start. And make no mistake gentlemen, if you haven't got all your ducks in a row, I'm willing to back that up.”_

Ray opened his eyes and spun the chair around, grinning. Vecchio was being assigned somewhere far away – this was great! They'd need a replacement, after all, right? And who better than Ray, who could use his powers to seamlessly take Vecchio's place. He could even make it so everyone believed he was Vecchio if he wanted to. Then he and Ben could spend even more time together, which was never a bad thing (well, unless they were fighting, but even then sometimes that was fun).

But Ray knew that it wouldn't work even as he thought it. Ben hated even the idea of Ray using his powers to help solve crimes. He said it was because it made taking the cases to trial that much harder, as how the evidence was obtained would be impossible to explain. While Ray believed that was part of it, he suspected that Ben also saw it as an unfair advantage, which was ridiculous, but also, if he had to admit it, part of what he loved about the guy.

And besides that, he knew that if Vecchio was sent away, Ben would be devastated. They'd become friends as well as work partners, and Vecchio's family had welcomed both Ben and Ray into their home with open arms. And jealous as he was sometimes of how close the two men were (and yeah, he was djinn enough to admit when he was jealous, thank you very fucking kindly), he also knew he had to let Ben have a life outside of the two of them. Made for a better relationship, kept life interesting. It was something Ray had to remind himself of, but hey, he was still new at this whole getting to decide things and be what you wanted, so he was due some slack.

Plus (not that he'd ever admit this out loud), Vecchio was a pretty good guy. He definitely watched out for Ben, which the guy needed. If Ray didn't know better, he'd think Ben had some kind of freaky powers of his own, what with all the craziness that surrounded him. While Vecchio complained about it loudly and often, he also waded right into it with Ben, and between the two of them they always got home safe, and almost always without Ray's intervention.

So Vecchio had to stay, and that was all there was to it. 

Ray snapped his fingers, setting off a bit of magick that glossed over the fact that he was ever at the precinct before taking him back to the apartment. If Ben found out he'd be pissed at the memory-altering bit (and it was a possibility – he was freakishly sensitive to magickal energies), but Ray didn't care. Given what he overheard, Ray was going to have to be the one to make sure something happened, and fast. And hey, if there was one doppleganger out there for this Bookman guy, who's to say there couldn't be another, even more suitable choice, right?

He had some planning to do.


End file.
